Why Your Senior Loved One Should Get Regular Blood Pressure Checks
Aging leads to natural risks and health changes, and one significant difference is blood pressure. "An increase in blood pressure (BP) has always been taken as an inevitable consequence of aging in industrialized societies, leading to hypertension in a high proportion of elderly subjects," according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) article,
Blood Pressure and Aging.
Hypertension happens mainly because the blood arteries change and become stiffer. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to a stroke or heart attack. About 60 to 80 percent of the elderly face hypertension, "but it is estimated that it will increase with the projected population growth of older people aged more than 65 years," per the NIH article,
Hypertension in the Elderly
February isn't just for lovers. It's also American Heart Month, which reminds us to take care of our heart and consider our risk factors. How can you live a longer, healthier life? These eight key factors can help you lower your risk of heart attack and stroke if you've never had one. They're part of an overall healthy lifestyle for adults. And they can help you build a powerful prevention plan with your health care team (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, registered dietitians, and other professionals).
More than 1 million Americans will suffer from a heart attack this year, and about 150,000 of them will die from it, according to the American Heart Association. Thing is, more than half of the people who have a heart attack don't recognize its symptoms. Would you recognize the symptoms of a heart attack? From 'indigestion' to a 'pulled muscle,' survivors share very different experiences:
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Music Therapy and How It Can Help Your Senior Loved One
As our loved ones age, it is critical they remain mentally active, and there are numerous outlets they have at their disposal. From daily crossword puzzles and Sudoku, fun apps like Pokémon Go, or an engaging friendship, keeping the brain active has many solutions. And a new type of therapy is growing in popularity.
Music therapy is what's considered a creative arts therapy, and it's being utilized more frequently. Brooke Christensen holds a Bachelor's degree in music and choral music education from
Christopher Newport University
. She hosts a music therapy session group for seniors and says it offers a host of benefits. Brooke recalls how it helped one woman in particular significantly improve her communication among her group. "The group attendants noticed a marked difference from a woman who was previously shy and unengaged." "Through music, the group started talking to her in rhythm. The woman would be tapping something out, and that was her way of communicating. It was [like] something we were doing in the [music] group," said Christensen, who currently serves as a director of home care
on Maryland's Eastern Shore
.
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The Best-Laid Plans
Did you hear the one about the couple who'd saved every penny for years to fulfill their dream of traveling the world once they'd retired? But then one of them unexpectedly passed, so the travel during retirement never happened? It's not a joke. In fact, in today's world the sudden, unexpected decline of a spouse cutting short long-laid retirement plans is so common that almost everyone knows someone who's experienced a similar tragic turn of events.
But what if, instead of death, it's actually long-term care of a loved one that changes your once-solid retirement plans into unfulfilled dreams? We're likely to imagine ourselves rising to the occasion selflessly when a loved one needs help. However, in the face of a need for years of care, it's almost impossible to do it single-handedly. That's when long-term care insurance can be an important tool- making it so much more practical and sustainable to assist through a time of caregiving.
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Save The Date!
For the fourth consecutive year, our Director of Operations, Marcy Silver, is serving on the Alzheimer's Association planning committee for the Walk to End Alzheimer's and she's super excited to also be serving as the Visiting Angels of Pikesville Team Captain for the fifth consecutive year!
The Walk is on Saturday, October 24, 2020 and will again be held at Canton Waterfront Park.
For a meaningful morning, join our team and walk with us! Can't make it to the Walk but still want to support our efforts and the Alzheimer's Association?
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